Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The present invention relates generally to aircraft control and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for providing autonomous control of aircraft upon detection of an emergency situation onboard the aircraft.
An airborne aircraft may suffer loss of control due to incapacitation of the crew. This may be caused by death of one or more crewmembers, a medical emergency, a hijacking, or other emergency situation. In the case of hijacking, the aircraft may be commandeered by unauthorized persons and used as a weapon as has been demonstrated. Such actions may even necessitate the destruction of the commandeered aircraft by military aircraft taking defensive measures.
Systems have been designed to control vehicles via Remote Control, as well as to control vehicles robotically. Examples include Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPVs), also known as Unmanned Vehicles (UV), developed by the military, robotic vehicles sent to Mars by NASA, the use of artificial intelligence to guide missiles, autopilots capable of landing aircraft in poor weather conditions, and the like. However, no systems have been developed to provide auxiliary control of commercial aircraft in the case of emergencies. The primary reason for this is the perceived absence of a need to do so, as well as safety concerns. Recent events, however, have changed this view.
Within the current operational capability of aircraft, including commercial airliners, aircraft flight control is solely the responsibility of the crew onboard the aircraft. Airline safety has generally depended upon having at least two qualified pilots onboard the aircraft. In the event that one crewmember becomes disabled, the other crewmember is capable of operating the aircraft and bringing the aircraft to a safe landing. This method of using two crewmembers has worked well until recently. Even prior to the tragic events involving the hijacking and intentional crashing of an aircraft into a building, there has been at least one incident in which a pilot in command may have assumed control of the aircraft and caused it to intentionally crash. Novels and movies have addressed the issue of having both crewmembers incapacitated leaving the aircraft in perilous conditions. In certain situations, orders have been issued to destroy any aircraft that appears to pose a threat to a large population on the ground due to loss of positive control of the aircraft.
It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a method and apparatus by which autonomous control of an aircraft is implemented upon detection of an event which leaves the flight crew incapacitated, and wherein the aircraft is directed by autonomous means through an emergency landing procedure.
The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for providing an Aircraft Emergency Safety Control System (AESCS) capable of regaining control of an aircraft that may have been lost due to incapacitation of the crew. The baseline AESCS invention is comprised of three major segments: an airborne segment, a ground segment, and a communications segment. The airborne segment provides aircraft monitoring and status information to a ground control station via a communications link. The airborne segment augments existing electronic flight control systems to accept emergency navigation, guidance, and control instructions from a ground control station via-the communications link. The airborne segment further provides an optional capability to disable cockpit control of selected systems.
The Ground Control Segment (GCS) of the present invention comprises one or more monitoring and control stations. The purpose of the GCS is to continuously monitor aircraft to determine abnormal flight patterns, detect threatening behavior onboard the aircraft, or otherwise determine situations which may pose a hazard to either the aircraft or ground locations. Once an emergency situation onboard the aircraft has been detected, the GCS can be used to provide a signal to the aircraft to change control of the aircraft from pilot control to autonomous control.
The communications segment provides a link between the aircraft and the GCS. The communications segment may comprise multiple complimentary and alternative communication channels. The communication link provides a way for interrogating the aircraft to extract critical information, pre-empt control of the aircraft from the onboard personnel, upload navigation and control data, monitor aircraft systems, and provide other monitoring functions such as video and audio from the cockpit and cabin to assess the situation aboard the aircraft. For positive control, two-way communications is desired, although one-way communication is also within the scope of the invention.
By way of the present invention, control of the aircraft is removed from the control of unauthorized person(s) onboard the aircraft, and the aircraft is directed to a destination that is considered a safe location for the aircraft given its status, and to facilitate a reasonably safe emergency landing. The present invention can make use of equipment which already exists on most commercial airliners, and adds electronic technology to provide an emergency control system for aircraft.
For smaller aircraft, a means is included to preempt the use of an aircraft as a weapon, but without the ability to guide the aircraft to a safe landing using an autonomous system. The system addresses safety issues on multiple fronts, and provides a means to reduce significantly the risk to both aircraft passengers and to people and property on the ground. Safety is enhanced, not only for situations involving a suicide hijacking, but also for situations that may arise due to aircraft malfunctions. The present invention provides a wide-ranging solution to many aviation safety issues using an integrated monitoring and control system that includes an airborne segment, a ground control segment and a communications segment.